¹³ suffering wrong as ^(A)the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to ^(B)revel in the ^(C)daytime. They are stains and blemishes, ^(D)reveling in their ^[a]deceptions as they ^(E)feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery ^[b]that never cease from sin, ^(F)enticing ^(G)unstable souls, having hearts trained in ^(H)greed, ^(I)accursed children; ¹⁵ abandoning ^(J)the right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^(K)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(L)the ^[c]reward of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own offense, ^(M)for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are ^(N)springs without water and mists driven by a storm, ^(O)for whom the ^[d]black darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, while speaking out ^(P)arrogant words of no ^(Q)value they ^(R)entice by fleshly desires, by ^(S)indecent behavior, those who barely ^(T)escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^(U)by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have ^(V)escaped the defilements of the world by ^(W)the knowledge of the ^(X)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again ^(Y)entangled in them and are overcome, ^(Z)the last state has become worse for them than the first. ^21 (AA)For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from ^(AB)the holy commandment ^(AC)handed on to them. ^22 [e]It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “^(AD)A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”